"Hey girls, how are ya doin'?"
Dollface looked up at William from where he sat on the bench, talking to a girl with black hair. She pushed her pink, heart-shaped sunglasses up her nose, hair still frizzy from last night's performance.
"This a friend of yours?"
"Sister." She said, snapping gum.
"Oh right, so sorry Reggie!" Wlliam smiled. "You have your hair up today. Sorry I didn't recognize you."
Reggie grumbled something and glared at him.
William didn't care, he was really only here for Dollface, who was currently sitting on the town's only bus stop bench in painter's whites, sleeves tied around her waist. Her black cami was skin tight, and if it weren't for his gentlemanly behavior and disdain for streetwalkers, he would've walked her home for a quick ride.
That wouldn't stop him though, she was proving to be less whoreish than her companions and would soon be ripe for picking.
"You were wonderful last night." William said, "I liked what you did with your hair."
"Thanks, but that was Reggie. Y'know li'l sisters, they'll treat ya like Barbies when they get tired of dolls."
"We're twins. And for the record, I'm older."
"By five minutes!" Dollface taunted her sister.
"Reggie, I've been meaning to ask, why do you have an accent?"
"I was raised outside of the country." Regina said, "And my name isn't 'Reggie'!"
"Sorry." William said, watching Regina drop her cigarette and stomp it out. "Aren't you a little young for that?"
"Aren't you a little too old to be hanging around us?" She shot back. Dollface jabbed her with an elbow, making Regina cough.
"Anyway, I wanted to share the good news." William had to stop himself from looking down Dollface's bra, "We're going to Branson!"
"Really?"
Not the overwhelmingly excited reaction he was hoping for.
"It'll be broadcasted live across the country, too."
"Really?"
There's some energy!
"Between this, Daisy's, an'weekend odd jobs with Gramps, I haven't really had time t'finish String Bean's costume. It's gettin' there, just slow."
"I'm sure you'll get it. If you need to, we can slow down the schedule so you can get some things done." William said, "I know you can do it. I'll even ask Henry to push rehearsals back."
"Great." Dollface said. She sipped some water down.
William felt pretty sweaty himself, then panicked.
Was he wearing a clean shirt?
Oh shit, he hadn't gotten his hair cut for a while!
"You're still here?" Regina asked.
"Yes, sorry, I just wanted to ask some more questions." William asked, "Dollface, what are you planning on doing after highschool?"
"I dunno," She said, "I was thinkin' 'bout spendin' time up in Jeff at Nichols Career Center with Michael. We were thinkin' 'bout trade school."
"Who's Michael?" William felt his darling slip out of his reach at the sign of competition, "Do I know him?"
"Probably not." She said, "He doesn't live here anymore."
William's sudden panic wasn't eased when she added, "We still hang out a lot. Went fishin' yesterday."
"Well, you don't have to worry about funding by next year. With the way you're going, I can get you through any college you'd want!"
Regina lit a new cancer stick and began puffing away.
"Grampa's gon' kill ya if he catches ya!"
"That's why I'm doing it out here, Smarty!"
William calmed himself.
Michael may be hot shit, but William could get the girl educated and that was enough to get anywhere.
He could already feel the ribbons she'd tied in her fluffy hair last night in his grasp.
"I'll have t'think 'bout it sir, I think trade is good 'nough fer me." Dollface said, "An'I'm guaranteed a job afterwards."
"Oh," William said.
Dammit! Michael was winning!
"Well, think about it. I'd hate to have such talents go to waste!" William smiled, "I've gotta get goin' now, you gals take care!"
On his way home, he stopped by the Deyhet barber, eyeing the Deyhet salon across the street.
After that, he got home for a shower, the entire time making himself a new villain to save his favorite new damsel from.
William finally decided on Michael being an older teen boy who squandered Dollface's talents and didn't get her humor like he did. Michael was tall, more virile, and definitely younger, but as steady and romantic as a pig.
Thinking, William stumbled around his junk-filled house that Vinnie would be missing from for days on end and froze in front of the fridge.
It smelled horrible, but he couldn't tell, nose-blind since birth.
After finding a TeeVee dinner, he heated his oven and began looking around.
He stood in front of his corkboard, studying every promotional photo he'd had taken of the girls.
William took his personal favorite down, and studied it with a content, nostalgic smile.
It was a picture of him sitting tall and proud in his bunny suit, Dollface sitting on his lap like a porcelain doll.
He sighed, wistful.
After getting rid of Vinnie, who was just more dipshit competition, days ago, William had permanently locked and boarded his room. No love had been lost, and besides, Vinnie would finally get the honor of holding life after death, and that was truly the greatest thing you could have, couldn't you?
Dolli Mae was a problem, she was asking where her boyfriend was, same with Maggie, the little slut, but William couldn't kill his nest egg just yet. He needed to wait.
William finally found what he was looking for, a clean purple Polo and his aftershave. He began putting on his usual khaki shorts, but opted for dress pants.
If he wanted to show his beloved that he was a steadier investment than Michael, he'd have to show it. Dollface looked like she wanted an older guy to fall into the arms off anyway.
William found his little leather bag and pulled out the rotting finger of his last love, Benji, and cradled it.
The rest of Benji, age seventeen, was in a dog costume.
He'd been a guitarist for a high school garage band, meaning that this finger was one of the greatest gifts he could give William.
William thought about Dollface's heart-shaped glasses and black fingernails, wanting the little gold ring in her ear to be his. It sang, it shone, it glimmered under stage lights.
And it had to be his!
No, something better had to be attainable. Jewelry, no matter how personal and expensive was no replacement for a body part, especially an important one.
Practically singing to Benji, William decided to get rid of Foxx, maybe Duke, for good, too. No, a simple letting go would be good enough, no need to go overboard. He still needed to make sure he had no competition, even if that meant taking over as dishwasher.
William kissed Benji's finger and spritzed it with cologne, the same kind he wore everyday and put his gift back in the drawer.
He was glad he'd gotten rid of his wife and daughter, they would've only gotten in the way by now.